Going on a short vacation ...

[Godfrey]

... The timeless "What camera should I bring?" arises as always. 🙂

I'm going to Maui for a week's holiday. My choice in the last few short trips like this has been to grab my ancient but still working well Light L16 for its combination of small size, 50 Mpixel resolution, and versatility. I could do that again. This is not a "photo trip", just a chance to get away before the holidays and hang out for relaxation (and use up some soon-to-expire flight coupon miles...). The L16 would work well.

But maybe I could do something a little different. I could bring the Leica M10-R and two lenses, like a 35 and 75... I could bring the Leica X2 and the Minox 35GT-E or Voigtländer Vito II. I could bring just my iPhone 15 Pro and maybe a Polaroid SX-70 camera.

I'm restricting myself to just a small shoulder bag for daily carry needs and a modest backpack—everything carry-on, minimal clothing, toiletries, and everything else. Not planning on anything that needs more than a clean tshirt and shorts, maybe a light jacket.

Hmm hmm hmmm. What would you bring for this kind of trip? 😉

G

 

[rfaspen]

A good warm jacket. Haleakala is really cold this time of year! ( Seriously)
Camera wise.....good to think simple, light, small. I took an M9 and couple lenses last time. That would be the limit to "largeness of size/ bulk I would take next time. A Q might be nice? A GR series?

 

[kxl]

Given that you're in SoCal and Maui is an easily accessible destination to which you can return again and again for serious photography, I'd go with "fun" gear--to me, the Minox or Vito seem like the most fun, but you'd have to pack some film.

 

[Dogman]

Same thing I carry around most days: a small camera (or two) with 35mm and 50mm lenses. Seems to cover everything I encounter.


.......................................

 

[plexi]

I happen to be going to Thailand tomorrow for a couple weeks vacation, so I'll be bringing my Canon R6II with 28mm and 85mm lenses, my Leica M3 with a 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M, a 50mm TTartisan 50mm f/1.4 and Mandler 35mm f/2 and lastly my Nikon FA with 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/1.8 lenses. Also carrying adapters so I can use all lenses on my Canon. 🙂

Have a great vacation!

 

[PRJ]

I was planning a trip to Paris for Paris Photo before the hullabaloo with the planes and I was in the same boat, but what to bring is always a difficult question unless you only own one camera. If you are just futzing around then one camera with maybe a Minox B in your pocket for fun. For some reason I always think of a line in a romcom with Witherspoon when her father tells her "you can't ride two horses with one ass butterbean." Same holds true for photography I think. One camera and go. Complicating things never works out.

 

[Rob-F]

Why bring a film camera and risk having your pictures ruined by X-ray. The only alternative is requesting hand inspection, a nuisance. And I wouldn't bring more than one camera system because then you have to duplicate lenses; a 50 and a 35 for this camera, and 28 and 50 for that one, etc. An exception for a second camera is a miniature digital. I might bring my Fuji X20 or X100, plus my M9 and and a couple or 3 lenses.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

My wife is a great trip planner. Our trips usually include nature walks, hot spring Inns (Onsen), museums and historical sites, and, city walks. I don't own a car so we use public transportation and we walk a lot. We carry everything on our backs (LL Bean Continental backpacks) and small shoulder bags to hold smart phone and one camera. Needless to say I have to bring a minimum amount of gear.

I always bring my Fujifilm X100VI; it works well and always gets the job done. On our last trip we visited a mountain crater and some castle ruins so I also brought along my Fujifilm X-E5 camera and a Fujinon 16mm f2.8 lens (24mm FF Eq).

On our next trip we're heading south to Kyushu for a week (Kyushu is the southern most of the 4 main islands of Japan). I'll bring my Fuji X100VI, X-E5 camera with XF16mm f2.8 and additionally my XF35mm f1.4. The XF35mm f1.4 (50mm FF Eq) is fairly light and compact in size and is capable of producing beautiful images.

Here are a couple pictures from our last trip using the X-E5 and compact XF 16mm f2.8 lens.

​

So there you have it, my travel rig. I doubt any of this information will be of much use to Godfrey but I was in the mood to write. 😊

All the best,
Mike

 

[plexi]

Why bring a film camera and risk having your pictures ruined by X-ray.

In my case I buy the film in Thailand and have them developed at a good lab in Bangkok before I go 🙂

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for your responses! Most are in line with what I'm thinking: small, light, one camera (plus the iPhone). That's sounding like the Leica X2 to me. But I still have a day or two to mull it over. 😉

G

 

[Rob-F]

My wife is a great trip planner. Our trips usually include nature walks, hot spring Inns (Onsen), museums and historical sites, and, city walks. I don't own a car so we use public transportation and we walk a lot. We carry everything on our backs (LL Bean Continental backpacks) and small shoulder bags to hold smart phone and one camera. Needless to say I have to bring a minimum amount of gear.

I always bring my Fujifilm X100VI; it works well and always gets the job done. On our last trip we visited a mountain crater and some castle ruins so I also brought along my Fujifilm X-E5 camera and a Fujinon 16mm f2.8 lens (24mm FF Eq).

On our next trip we're heading south to Kyushu for a week (Kyushu is the southern most of the 4 main islands of Japan). I'll bring my Fuji X100VI, X-E5 camera with XF16mm f2.8 and additionally my XF35mm f1.4. The XF35mm f1.4 (50mm FF Eq) is fairly light and compact in size and is capable of producing beautiful images.

Here are a couple pictures from our last trip using the X-E5 and compact XF 16mm f2.8 lens.

View attachment 4880589

View attachment 4880590​

So there you have it, my travel rig. I doubt any of this information will be of much use to Godfrey but I was in the mood to write. 😊

All the best,
Mike

These pictures are splendid, Mike, especially the second one!

 

[JeffS7444]

I just returned from the islands this morning: Although not specific to the island of Maui, it seems that I've photographed Hawaii with so many brands of camera over the years, most recently with Nikon Zfc + 16-50 kit zoom lens and Pentax 17. The decision was based on "Gee, I haven't used those cameras in Hawaii yet". Sometimes I really get the itch to shoot with film, but on this trip, it was probably 90% digital. Weather for the past week was breezy with frequent drizzly showers which makes for some interesting shooting.

Although Hawaii has active volcanoes, sadly, it's not an onsen powerhouse.

 

[rfaspen]

I'm not kidding about that jacket if you're heading up to the crater/ observatories. I pack a relatively light wind resistant fleece jacket whenever going to Maui or Big Island. I like the higher elevation landscape -- Nice to play in the snow too.

I was thinking that your X1 would make an excellent choice for your trip. If you were going with photography in mind I would do either the M10 siblings or just the hassy(ies) and respective lenses. The X1 really is a "travel camera" though and seems well suited to your stated travel objectives.

Grab a few photos of Lahaina for us.....I haven't seen it since the fires and images in the media are biased. Not to mention that the fires are ancient history now 😮.

 

[CMur12]

I vote for the Vito II!

It should complement the iPhone nicely.

- Murray

 

[Godfrey]

... And the winner is: Leica X2 plus the grip and the optical viewfinder, and two spare batteries, and the charger, an additional SD card. It'll be enough. 😀

I thought hard about bringing the Vito II as well, but decided one camera is enough for this trip. Depart this afternoon...

(yes, I have a light jacket, hat and gloves with me. Not sure yet whether I'm doing the crater rim again, though: I"ve done the sunrise thing there three times already.)

Aloha!
G

 

[Joerg]

Minox all the way.

 

[Archiver]

No doubt you're in Maui right now, but here are my two button cells: a week long trip will no doubt include some photo worthy moments, and what better way to capture them but with the best balance of weight and image quality. You have a M10-R, take that and just the 35. This covers anything truly photo worthy. For convenience and discreet carry, a small compact camera is always handy. Compact goes in a pocket or belt pouch, main camera in the shoulder bag.

In my case, I'd take the SL2-S with Summicron 35 SL ASPH as main photo/video camera, and the Panasonic LX10 as pocket camera. The Sony RX0 would be in my pocket or bag at all times as snapshot camera.

If I wanted to go a bit lighter and smaller, the M9 + Distagon 35 and Elmarit 28 would be the main photo camera. Even smaller, the Panasonic GX85 with Pana Leica 9mm f1.7 and Olympus 17mm f1.8 would be the main camera. I feel I've arrived at all the gear I need/want for personal shooting these days.

 

[Bingley]

Thanks for your responses! Most are in line with what I'm thinking: small, light, one camera (plus the iPhone). That's sounding like the Leica X2 to me. But I still have a day or two to mull it over. 😉

G

I think the M10 with 35/75 lenses is the way to go, and you have the iPhone for anything else.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks to you all. 😀
I'm finally on Maui at my hotel. I haven't been traveling much the past two years: the flight seemed to take forever!

This is not a photo trip at all; I call it a "Maui Meditation". I brought the Leica X2, which is very handy, light and small, and has an excellent lens. It will be enough. I'm here to rest and think for a few days. Didn't want anything to clutter my mind ... the X2 is perfect for that. Maybe I'll get a decent photo or two; maybe not. 😉

I will get in a few nice long walks, some time on the beach, maybe a trip up to the crater or a trip over to see how Lahaina is rebuilding. Maybe a drive to Hana. It wouldn't hurt to just sit by the beach and meditate...

Aloha!
G

 

[Godfrey]

On the beach at Kihei Surfside Resort: